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The Rockies' starting outfield today consists of three guys who don't belong in the major leagues. Their left fielder, Charlie Culberson, is a second baseman by trade who probably wouldn't hit enough to be a major league second baseman.

The Rockies have had some tough luck this year, with their four best position players (Tulo, CarGo, Dexter Fowler and Cuddyer) all having spent time on the DL. But that's no excuse to start giving games away. Walt Weiss was hired for all the wrong reasons, and he's given me no indication that he knows what he's doing.

I guess that's the modern way of running a pitching staff. Rockies have needed an emergency starter several times recently. They have several guys in the bullpen who have started in the major leagues, including Ottavino and Francis, but they keep dipping down into the minors for starting pitchers, who inevitably get their heads handed to them.

Why? The Jays are 16 games out of the AL East, dead last behind four other clubs. They're not making a run this year. DeRosa is a nice spare part, but hardly a core building block for 2014 and beyond. If they could get a C prospect out of Atlanta in return for 2 months + an option year of DeRosa, why wouldn't they do that?

I think dumping Seth Smith (for Outman and someone else) was a worse move, although he's not hitting this year. If they had Smith as a 4th outfielder and EY (they traded him for a pitcher even worse than Manship) as a 5th outfielder that would be good depth.

The Rockies' starting outfield today consists of three guys who don't belong in the major leagues. Their left fielder, Charlie Culberson, is a second baseman by trade who probably wouldn't hit enough to be a major league second baseman.

The Cubs' outfield yesterday was three people named "Neal", "Lake" and "Gillespie". They also started Cody Ransom at first and Donnie Murphy at third. Of course they still beat the Phillies.

I know Lake is the new Puig, but nobody knew who he was three months ago.

One of the knocks on Clint Hurdle was that he was too laid back, didn't ask very much of his players, so maybe it's not surprising that those guys didn't work hard enough to have long careers. Still, Spilborghs is 33, Hawpe is 34 (and still around), Atkins is 33, Barmes is 34 (and still around). Marginal players generally don't last to their mid-30s.

The Rockies traded Seth Smith, Chris Iannetta and Ian Stewart all in the same off-season, in an apparent attempt to purge the team of anyone who was willing to take ball four (although the Iannetta trade has worked out well).

The Ian Stewart trade worked out well too, in that this year he decided to quit on the Iowa Cubs and force them to release him. He's still drawing walks for the Dodgers AAA team though. More walks than hits, in fact. (.192/.351/.346)

Why? The Jays are 16 games out of the AL East, dead last behind four other clubs. They're not making a run this year. DeRosa is a nice spare part, but hardly a core building block for 2014 and beyond. If they could get a C prospect out of Atlanta in return for 2 months + an option year of DeRosa, why wouldn't they do that?

Clubhouse morale?
He seems to be very well liked.

For his PH skills?
.357/.571/.643
(Albeit for only 21 plate appearances)

I have seen bad lineups on weekdays but the Rockies are even worse than I thought. Herrera instead of Tulo, Torrealba instead of Rosario. I would say only one guy who is at least ML average. The Mets suck pretty badly as well

Again a team loses in walk-off fashion on the road while letting their closer rot on the bullpen bench. This is the second time the Marlins have done it in the full week since they last used Cishek. Surely he will now "get work" in some blowout game because anything is better than letting a lesser reliever get a save - lesser relievers naturally should be used in tougher situations, like a tie game on the road in the 9th inning or later, because that totally makes sense and isn't at all influenced by the save stat...

When the box score last night listed the winning pitcher in the Tigers game as 'J. Bonderman' I just assumed a different guy named Bonderman had made his way into the major leagues. No idea Jeremy Bonderman was still pitching much less that he had somehow made it back to the Tigers.

Carlos Martinez definitely has a top notch fastball, but what made Pedro Pedro was his offspeed stuff. I've watched a little bit of this game, so maybe I've missed some good offspeed pitches, but the fastball has really been the only impressive pitch I've seen from Carlos.

Carlos Martinez definitely has a top notch fastball, but what made Pedro Pedro was his offspeed stuff. I've watched a little bit of this game, so maybe I've missed some good offspeed pitches, but the fastball has really been the only impressive pitch I've seen from Carlos.

I don't think anyone is seriously comparing Carlos to Pedro - the local media stuck "Baby Pedro" on him due to his small righty Dominicanness.

Pirates have an outside chance of finishing the season with a team ERA under 3.00. That hasn't been done since the 1989 Dodgers. (The Mets and Dodgers both did in in 1988).

Can't figure out how to search BR PI by team ERA+, but the 2013 Pirates ERA+ is 116, vs 117 for the 1989 Dodgers.

They are also on pace to win ~100 games while scoring 625 runs. Can't figure out how to search for something to compare that, too, either, but it definitely seems anomalous (that '88 dodgers team won 94 games, while scoring 628; guess that's a decent comparison).